"Lost A Brother": One Direction Reacts To Liam Payne's Tragic Death
Following the death of singer-songwriter and former One Direction member Liam Payne, who died at the age of 31, his fellow bandmates and musicians Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson have reacted to his tragic demise.
Singer Zayn Malik, who left the British boy band in 2015, posted an old photo of the two taking a nap together. A young Zayn can be seen taking a nap on Liam’s lap, with the latter resting his head on Zayn’s shoulder.
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“Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me. I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many conversations for us to have in our lives,’ wrote Zayn. The singer recalled the times when he missed home, Liam would “always be there” with a reassuring smile. Zayn also highlighted Liam’s musical expertise. “I was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next,” he stated.
“I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly,” he wrote before concluding with “Love you bro.”
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Golden singer Harry Styles posted a photo of Liam during one of his concerts. “I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing. His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it.”
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“The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend. My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola, and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did,” he added.
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Fellow bandmate Louis Tomlinson also shared a lovely photo with Liam from their past concerts. In a long and emotional note posted on Instagram, Louis recalled their first meeting and how since then, he “got a chance to see the kind brother [he’d] longed all [his] life for.” He also praised Liam’s musical skills. “And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam,” he wrote.
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Louis continued with a special message for his friend. “I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was. I wish I got chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you,” he expressed.
“Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X” added Louis.
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The members also released a statement as One Direction. “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam,” read the statement.
It is signed by Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.
On Thursday, police in Buenos Aires said a preliminary autopsy suggested Liam died from external and internal bleeding injuries. They said the area where the One Direction star fell had been inspected and items including alcohol and a phone had been discovered. Medication was also found in his room. Meanwhile, scores of fans gathered outside the hotel to pay tribute to the singer.
